‘Closer To A Chemical Weapon Than A Narcotic’: Donald Trump Designates ‘Fentanyl’ As A Weapon Of Mass Destruction; Orders Federal Crackdown On Cartels

Donald Trump: US President Donald Trump on Monday signed an executive order formally classifying illicit fentanyl and its key precursor chemicals as weapons of mass destruction, marking a major escalation in the federal government’s response to the opioid crisis.

Tougher Legal Action Against Fentanyl Networks

According to a White House fact sheet, the order directs the US Attorney General to aggressively pursue criminal prosecutions in fentanyl trafficking cases, including seeking tougher sentences and enhanced penalties. It also authorises the Secretaries of State and the Treasury to move against assets, financial institutions and overseas networks linked to the production and distribution of the drug.

The order further asks the Attorney General and the Secretary of War to assess whether additional national security resources should be deployed to support the Justice Department during fentanyl-related emergencies treated as WMD threats.

National Security Lens On Drug Crisis

Under the directive, the Secretary of War, in coordination with the Department of Homeland Security, will update chemical incident response protocols to specifically address fentanyl-related threats. Homeland Security has also been tasked with identifying smuggling networks using both WMD and non-proliferation intelligence tools.

In the fact sheet, Trump described illicit fentanyl as being “closer to a chemical weapon than a narcotic,” pointing out that as little as two milligrams, roughly the size of 10 to 15 grains of salt, can be fatal.

Linking Cartels To Terror Financing

Trump warned that profits from fentanyl trafficking are being used by drug cartels and foreign terrorist groups to finance violence, including assassinations and insurgent activities. He cautioned that the drug’s potency raises the risk of mass-casualty attacks if weaponised at scale.

By designating fentanyl as a weapon of mass destruction, the administration said it can now marshal federal law enforcement, financial, intelligence and national security resources in a coordinated effort to dismantle trafficking networks and remove the drug from US communities.

Part Of Broader Anti-Drug Push

The executive order builds on a series of recent measures aimed at curbing drug trafficking. These include declaring a national emergency at the southern border, classifying eight drug cartels as Foreign Terrorist Organisations, imposing tariffs on countries accused of failing to stop drug flows, authorising military action to disrupt narcotics operations and signing the HALT Fentanyl Act, which permanently places fentanyl-related substances under Schedule I of US drug laws.

(Via Agency Inputs)

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